Journal lubricator



C. T. HUNT ETAL JOURNAL LUBRICATOR Sept. 25 1962 5 Sheets-Shea?I 1 Filed Jan. 3l, 1961 Sept. 25, 1962 C. T. HUNT ET AL JOURNAL LUBRICATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 3l, 1961 Il@ 5 ai: 45 ze 4f' B' l... E a

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Sept. 25, 1962 c. T. HUNT ET AL JOURNAL LUBRcAToR Filed Jan. 5l, 1961 ifi/Wma@ @J4 @Jj States 3,055,718 Patented Sept. 25, 1962 3,055,718 JOURNAL LUBRICATOR Clarkson T. Hunt, 247 E. Grange St., Lancaster, Pa., and Arthur F. Emmerson, 425 Bell Ave., Altoona, Pa. Filed Jan. 31, 1961, Ser. No. 86,081 7 Claims. (Cl. 308-243) This invention relates to a journal lubricator which is absorptive and adapted for placement into the journal box of a car wheel axle or the like, to carry lubricant to the surface of the journal.

This chief aim of our invention is to provide a lubricator for the above purpose which is so shaped as to lit snugly into the journal box below the. journal; which is resistive to rapid wear; which can be relied upon to keep the journal properly lubricated over long protracted periods; which is easily installed and can be as readily removed from time to time as may be necessary for cleaning or renovation; and which, withal, lends itself to manufacture in quantity at small cost from relatively inexpensive materials.

Briefly described, the lubricator of our invention comprises a plurality of transversely disposed compressible inter-connected pad components arranged side-by-side, each such component having a core of porous resilient oil penetrable material enveloped by pile faced fabric adapted to wipe against the lower part of the journal.

Other important objectives and attendant advantages will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein:

FIG. l is a longitudinal section of car journal box with a lubricator constructed in accordance with our invention in place therein;

FIG. 2 is a View in cross section taken as indicated by the angled arrows II-II in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a perspective View of a lubricator on an enlarged scale;

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are sectional views taken as indicated respectively by the angled arrows IV-IV, V-V and VI-VI in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one of the end pad components of the lubricator;

FIG. 8 is a perspective View of one of the intermediate pad components of the lubricator;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of one of the core blocks;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a fabric blank used as the wrapping for the core of each of the pad components;

FIG. ll is a fragmentary perspective view in section of the fabric, the section being taken as indicated by the angled arrows XI-XI in FIG. 4 and drawn to a larger scale;

FIGS. 12 and 13 are perspective views showing successive stages in the formation of one of the end pad components of the lubricator;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary view in perspective corresponding to FIG. 3 and showing a modification; and

FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken as indicated by the angled arrows XV-XV in FIG. 14.

As exemplified in FIGS. 3-5 of these illustrations, the lubricator of our invention comprises a plurality of pad componentsin this instance four two end components 20 and two intermediate components 21. Each of these components has an elongated core block 22 which is flatsided, is vertically oblong in cross section, and is shaped to correspond approximately to the transverse configuration of the hollow in the jounral box B (FIGS. 1 and 2) below the wheel axle journal I. In practice7 each core block 22 is formed from a suitable porous resilient material, such as foam rubber or rubber-like material, capable of retaining a large amount of oil. The core of each pad component is enveloped by a blank of textile material such as separately illustrated in FIG. 10 and there designated 23,

having a central area 24 with closely spaced parallel lines 25 of enchained pile loops projecting outwardly from the face thereof, and side portions 26 which are plain i.e., devoid of pile, the fabric being preferably of cotton. The length of the blank 23 in the direction of the pile loop chains 25 is slightly in excess of the transverse perimeter of a core block 22, the width of the piled area being equal substantially to the length of a core block.

To produce one of the end components, the fabric blank 23 is doubled upon itself to bring its transverse edges into coincidence and, at the same time, narrow margins 27 (FIG. l0) of the blank are reversely retroverted as at 28 in FIG. l2 and secured together by stitching 29. As the sewing is done, a reinforcing or binding strip 30 of a length corresponding substantially to the width of the pile area of the fabric is incorporated for a purpose later on explained. The envelope thus formed is then opened up and tubularized for endwise insertion thereinto of the core block 22 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 12, until the block is centered in the tube with the seam 29 in line with one of the upper longitudinal side edges of the said block. With this accomplished, the plain tubularized side portions 26 of the fabric extending beyond opposite ends of the block 22, are tucked inwardly from opposite sides as shown in FIG. 13, collapsed as in FIG. 7 after which they are stitched together as at 31 and 32 to form flat projecting aps 33.

Each intermediate pad component is made up in the same way as above described except that the end edges of the enveloping fabric are brought together and stitched along one of the bottom longitudinal edges of the core block 22 as at 35 in FIG. 8, the flaps formed by inward tucking, collapsing and stitching of the projecting plain portions of the covering being here designated 36.

With the pad components so prepared, they are placed sideby-side in FIG. 3 with the end components 20 reversely positioned i.e., with the reinforced seams 30 of the fabric covers outermost.` The several components are thereupon connected together by longitudinal straps 40 of cotton duck which are wrapped about the projecting aps 33 and 36, and secured by three parallel lines of stitching as shown at 41, 42 and 43 in FIGS. 3 and 4. As further sho/wn in FIGS. 3 and 4, extended portions of the straps are retroverted and the ends secured by additional stitching as at 44 to provided grasp loops 45. Finally, the two intermediate components 21 are connected together centrally of their lengths, by a few stitches as at 46 in FIGS. 3 and 5, and the covers of the outer components and of the respective adjacent intermediate components 2li are connected together centrally of their lengths along both the confronting top and bottom longitudinal edges by a few stitches as at 47 and 48 in FIGS. 3 and 5.

From FIGS. 1 and 2 it will be observed that the lubricator is positioned in the journal box B with its pad components compressed and extending about the lower part of the journal l at right angles thereto, in wiping contact therewith, it being held in place by engagement of edges of the straps 40 beneath the stop lugs L at opposite sides of the box and by engagement of the reinforcing seam covering strips of the end components with the shoulders of the journal. Due to the porosity of the cores 22 and the capillary action of the pile fabric covers, oil is constantly carried to the journal from the bottom of the box. Obviously, due to the pr-ovision of the loops 45 on the straps 40, installation of the lubricator is greatly facilitated as is also its withdrawal for renovation when this becomes necessary after long periods in service. As will be further realized, installation and withdrawal of the lubricator is further facilitated due to capacity of the respective pairs of end and intermediate components to pivot hinge fashion, relative to each other due to the stitching at 46, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 1.

In the modification illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15 the connecting strap 50 is of double width and folded longitudinally to lap over and under the projecting aps of the four pad components, and made fast to them by parallel lines 51 and 52 of stitches. Over edge stitching 53 and 54 is also resorted to here to bind together the ends of the folds of the connecting strips 50. Another innovation to be noted here is that the loop 55 is separately formed and secured to the strap by stitching at 56.

It is to be understood that we do not consider ourselves limited to any number of individual pad components since the number may be varied as may be necessary for journal boxes of different sizes nor do we consider our lubricator to be limited to use in car axle journal boxes alone.

While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes, we have illustrated and described the best form of emlbodiment of our invention now known to us, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the form of the apparatus described without departing7 from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims, and that in some cases certain features of our invention may be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A lubricator, for a railway car :wheel axle journal or the like borne in the journal box, comprising several pad components arranged side by side, each such component having an elongate core of porous resilient oil-pene trable material generally rectangular in cross section, shaped longitudinally to conform to the cross sectional configuration of the space between the bottom surface of the journal and the surrounding portion of the wall of the journal box, and a tubular envelopeA of absorbent textile material encasing said core, both the confronting top and bottom longitudinal corner edges of each end component and of the respectively adjacent intermediate component :being connected together, and the confronting longitudinal top corner edges only of each two adjacent intermediate components being connected together, and a pair of straps of flexible strip material respectively connecting corresponding ends of said pad components.

2. A lubricator characterized as in claim 1, wherein the longitudinal confronting top and bottom corner edges of each end component and the adjacent intermediate component are connected together centrally of their lengths by a few sewing `stitches only, and the confronting longitudinal top corner edges only of the two intermediate components are likewise connected together centrally of their lengths by a few sewing stitches only,

3. A lubricator characterized as in claim 1, wherein the fabric enveloping the cores of the respective components has a foundation weave with closely-spaced lines of outwardly projecting enchained pile loops extending transversely about the cores.

4. A lubricator characterized as in claim 1, wherein the fabric coverings are pile faced and have plain portions to extend beyond opposite ends of the core blocks, wherein the extended plan portions are tucked inwardly from opposite sides, collapsed, and stitched together to form projecting tabs, wherein the tabs so formed at the opposite ends of the respective pad components are stitched to longitudinal connecting fabric straps.

5. A lubricator characterized as in claim 1, wherein the fabric coverings are pile faced and have plain portions to extend beyond oposite ends of the core blocks, wherein the extended plain portions are tucked inwardly from opposite sides, collapsed, and stitched together to form projecting tabs, wherein the tabs so formed vat the opposite ends of the respective pad components are stitched to longitudinal connecting fabric straps, and wherein each such strap is provided at least at one end with a grasp loop to facilitate insertion and withdrawal of the lubricator into or out of the journal box.

6. A lubricator characterized as in claim 1, wherein each of the straps is provided at least at one end with a grasp loop to facilitate insertion and Withdrawal of the lubricator into or out of the journal box.

7. A lubricator, for a railway car wheel axle journal or the like borne in the journal box, comprising several pad components arranged side by side, each such component having an elongate core of porous resilient oil-penetrable material generally rectangular in cross section, shaped longitudinally to conform to the cross sectional configuration of the space between the bottom surface of the journal and the lsurrounding portion of the wall of the journal box, and a tubular envelope of absorbent textile material encasing said core, the confronting longitudinal top corner edges of each pair of adjacent components being connected together, and the confronting longitudinal bottom corner edges of at least each pair of adjacent intermediate components being free of any connection, and a pair of straps of flexible strip material respectively connecting corresponding ends of said pad components,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,859,074 Dilg Nov. 4, 1958 2,939,751 Hoyer et al June 7, 1960 3,019,069 Barth et al. June 30, 1962 

